WOW! Alison, this poem is just so moving. I can absolutely feel the truth of that mother’s pain – the loss, the toil, the kids moving on tired of the hardship, the sagging breasts – all of it. A truly spectacular write. The opening lines go straight to the heart. Thank you for this poem. I am intrigued by your banner photo – it looks like my part of the world on the west coast of Canada. Wondering if it is.